"But if Jesus knew he'd be alive again in three days he wasn't really making the sacrifice prophesied in the scriptures. Whereas Judas goes down in history as the biggest bastard ever, and then kills himself, thus damning himself to hell.
So he made the real sacrifice, and is therefore the true Christ.
Thing is with Judas, Jesus knew all along he'd do it. Which means there's fate.
Which makes god a douche for holding us responsible for events he set in place at creation."

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Originally Posted by Pacino

God? …..Is that it..?
…God!?

Well, I’ll tell ya… let me give you a little inside information about “god”:
God likes to watch.
He’s a prankster.
Think about it :
He gives man instincts…
He gives you this extraordinary gift…
And then what does he do..? I swear, for his own amusement… his own private cosmic gag reel…
He sets the rules in opposition. It’s the goof of all time:
Look… but don’t touch…
Touch… but don’t taste…
Taste… but don’t swallow…
Ha ha ha!
And while you’re jumping from one foot to the next, what is he doing?
He’s laughing his sick ******* *** off..!
He’s a tight ***..!
He’s a SADIST..!
He’s an absentee landlord..!
Worship *THAT* !?!…
NEVER!

"But if Jesus knew he'd be alive again in three days he wasn't really making the sacrifice prophesied in the scriptures. Whereas Judas goes down in history as the biggest bastard ever, and then kills himself, thus damning himself to hell.
So he made the real sacrifice, and is therefore the true Christ.
Thing is with Judas, Jesus knew all along he'd do it. Which means there's fate.
Which makes god a douche for holding us responsible for events he set in place at creation."

Nope, he has set events but not how you think, he gives us a choice, do what we want, and he doesn't know what you'll do, or you can follow God's plan for your life. Which is about serving him and having a life filled with Joy, Happiness, but not easy, it's not always easy to serve God. Jesus knew Judas would turn him in, he had to, to make the prophesy true, but, he didn't have to hang himself, he could've asked for forgiveness and become a great apostle but he did things the way he wanted and went to hell because of that. If Judas was the savior, then he would've have died for us, no he died for his guilt. Jesus died for us, now how many witnesses do you need to believe that Jesus did raise from the dead?

Looks like a fruit cake to me. - Brutus

Quote:

Originally Posted by Q

I don't want to get my hopes up, but it's like the planets are aligning or something.

I'm Christian, but I don't say something is a fact if it isn't. Jesus being raised from the dead is not a fact, I simply have faith that it happened. But I admit it may not have, because I'm not so full of myself to think that I must be right.

So then God sets us up to fail? I think even the Old Testament version of God isn't quite that... mean. It doesn't make sense that God would give us "gifts" and then expect us not to use them. Or worse, that he would punish us for using what he gave us.

In any case there's fairly indisputable proof that the world is older than 6000 years. So no need for anyone to be damned.

No, he gave us his gifts to use for him, brilliant people are made by God to show that God does indeed exist and that a literal six day creation is true. Now say you had kids, let's just say that, now say you gave two of your kids an order to clean their rooms, one does it immediately and the other goes to their room and doesn't clean it, now to the kid who obeyed you, you give them something they like, the other is punished, now you gave them the choice to do whatever they wanted. Also, let's say that you built the house that you live in. The kid who was punished decides, that since you're so "unfair" You don't exist, and then further decides that the house evolved over a long period of time from a splinter. Do you see how weird that is, that's just how humanity acts today, just on a larger scale.

Looks like a fruit cake to me. - Brutus

Quote:

Originally Posted by Q

I don't want to get my hopes up, but it's like the planets are aligning or something.

I'm Christian, but I don't say something is a fact if it isn't. Jesus being raised from the dead is not a fact, I simply have faith that it happened. But I admit it may not have, because I'm not so full of myself to think that I must be right.

That's impossible for me to name one person alive today that saw Jesus raised from the dead. But, there are 500 different historical accounts saying that they all saw Jesus alive. All of them being people with a lot of power known for telling facts. Does that work for you? It's also in the Bible. And, just have faith this is between heaven and hell, don't give up, and trust me it's been hard reading this thread, but if you just hang in there when you get to heaven you get to here God, the creator of everything tell you "Well done good and faithful servant!" I'd can't wait, and in the Bible it talks about how the more people dislike you for your faith the bigger your reward will be in heaven, just hang in, and I'll see you there

Looks like a fruit cake to me. - Brutus

Quote:

Originally Posted by Q

I don't want to get my hopes up, but it's like the planets are aligning or something.

Yeah, it's not easy either for the men in the native tribes in Africa, whom have never heard of god. They're going to burn in hell according to your religion because they are "ill-informed".

Slow down there. Not all Christian denominations believe that. It's a fairly Catholic view, actually, as is the belief that the souls of infants that die before baptism go to purgatory. Many protestant denominations don't believe these things because they're fairly inhumane.

Slow down there. Not all Christian denominations believe that. It's a fairly Catholic view, actually, as is the belief that the souls of infants that die before baptism go to purgatory. Many protestant denominations don't believe these things because they're fairly inhumane.

I was actually watching a debate between Christians and Atheists (it was on CNN or something. On the christian side it was Kirk Cameron and the dude he preaches with), and they said different.

14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

In layman's terms that means, if they obey his commandments without really knowing why, then they're going to heaven, so if an African tribe never heard of God but obeyed his word because of their conscience then they're going to heaven, does that sound like a merciful God to you?

Looks like a fruit cake to me. - Brutus

Quote:

Originally Posted by Q

I don't want to get my hopes up, but it's like the planets are aligning or something.

I was actually watching a debate between Christians and Atheists (it was on CNN or something. On the christian side it was Kirk Cameron and the dude he preaches with), and they said different.

I have also debated with many other people and none disagreed.

If he says all Christian denominations believe that then he's full of crap and is not doing a good job of representing us. My denomination, for instance, believes as I described. We also welcome homosexuals.

In layman's terms that means, if they obey his commandments without really knowing why, then they're going to heaven, so if an African tribe never heard of God but obeyed his word because of their conscience then they're going to heaven, does that sound like a merciful God to you?

So you expect men who speak in clicks to obey the word of god without having the ability to do so?

All humans are born with original sin, so how could the man know whether he was disobeying god or not?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Achilies

Did he look like this man?

His name is Ray Comfort and he likes bananas (because everyone knows that you are what you eat).

No, he gave us his gifts to use for him, brilliant people are made by God to show that God does indeed exist and that a literal six day creation is true. Now say you had kids, let's just say that, now say you gave two of your kids an order to clean their rooms, one does it immediately and the other goes to their room and doesn't clean it, now to the kid who obeyed you, you give them something they like, the other is punished, now you gave them the choice to do whatever they wanted. Also, let's say that you built the house that you live in. The kid who was punished decides, that since you're so "unfair" You don't exist, and then further decides that the house evolved over a long period of time from a splinter. Do you see how weird that is, that's just how humanity acts today, just on a larger scale.

I'm quoting this as it made me laugh...

This post is by far the worst example to prove a point that is incorrect I have ever seen... I would go through and point out the fallacies in your post(s), however, I don't have that much time nor do I think anyone else does.

Suggestion though...research, read up on, or at least gain a rudimentary understanding of evolution...then post to this thread. Otherwise…I would recommend the Ahto Spaceport Cantina forum. People are a bit less picky about their sources there.

No, he gave us his gifts to use for him, brilliant people are made by God to show that God does indeed exist and that a literal six day creation is true. Now say you had kids, let's just say that, now say you gave two of your kids an order to clean their rooms, one does it immediately and the other goes to their room and doesn't clean it, now to the kid who obeyed you, you give them something they like, the other is punished, now you gave them the choice to do whatever they wanted. Also, let's say that you built the house that you live in. The kid who was punished decides, that since you're so "unfair" You don't exist, and then further decides that the house evolved over a long period of time from a splinter. Do you see how weird that is, that's just how humanity acts today, just on a larger scale.

So, if I understand this right, you're basically saying that humanity has made up evolution?

That's a really bad analogy to be using, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Jones

I'd like to add that a house in fact might have grown from like a bunch of tree semen. ^^

Ah,.. you mean like, seamen grow trees from semen to build sea shanties by the sea shore while they sing sea shanties only when they're at sea and not at home in their shanty town of sea shanties by the sea shore which they built with wood from trees they grew from semen the other day?

BRILLIANT, INDEED! I've never seen more excellence in twisting my words into something so different, yet similar. ^^

[...]there are 500 different historical accounts saying that they all saw Jesus alive.

Could you, perhaps, name these "500 different historical accounts?" Or just 250. Tell you what, name just one. But keep in mind that the so-called gospels of Mark, John, Luke, and Matthew (as well as the 'Q' document) are not historical accounts since two of these rely on two others heavily and neither is demonstrated to be contemporary to anyone that might have been an actual witness to the alleged events. Moreover, inconsistencies between them work to invalidate them.

But I digress, this is, after all, a thread on evolution. As such, I'll close the critique in my previous paragraph with the notion that the mythology surrounding Jesus is evidence of religious evolution. Cultures evolve in much the same manner as nature with outside and inside selective pressures, etc.

While I apologize for my digression, I should be permitted some latitude since it's clear that your intent for this thread wasn't to discuss science but superstition. It's not a thread on evolution but one that allows you a soapbox to proselytize your religion.

Nope, he has set events but not how you think, he gives us a choice, do what we want, and he doesn't know what you'll do, or you can follow God's plan for your life. Which is about serving him and having a life filled with Joy, Happiness, but not easy, it's not always easy to serve God. Jesus knew Judas would turn him in, he had to, to make the prophesy true, but, he didn't have to hang himself, he could've asked for forgiveness and become a great apostle but he did things the way he wanted and went to hell because of that. If Judas was the savior, then he would've have died for us, no he died for his guilt. Jesus died for us, now how many witnesses do you need to believe that Jesus did raise from the dead?

Well of course Jesus knew.
According to recent discovery, Jesus was the one who told Judas to turn him in in the first place. And I don't mean the thing when he said that "Before the sun set" and all that "one of you will betray me" stuff.

I mean, literally telling Judas to turn him in.

If he didn't, he would have disobeyed the command of God, and probably burned in hell for taht too.

Whales have don't "vestigal" bones (they say it proves that it used to be used for walking) those bones serve as anchor points for muscles. Without them whales can't reproduce, they have nothing to do with walking on land... Even IF it was vestigal, isn't losing something against evolution?

Some of you asked couldn't have God just used Evolution?

Simply put, no... God didn't use a process in which millions of creatures have to die just to get the perfect creature. Besides he's perfect, if he created something macro evolution doesn't need to happen in order to perfect it... Sure micro evolution happens but it's not to perfect an animal, but to allow it to fit into it's surroundings better. If you claim to be a Christian and believe in Evolution, you're not a Christian because you don't believe in the Genesis Account.

I will work on the rest later... You guys sure can ask a lot of questions...

Looks like a fruit cake to me. - Brutus

Quote:

Originally Posted by Q

I don't want to get my hopes up, but it's like the planets are aligning or something.

I was under the impression that things died every day. Where is your so called perfect god in those situations? What about things born with deformities? Disabilities?

Also, sources and proof on all of the above.

Also "fitting into your surroundings better" is evolution. Look it up. It seems your confusion over what evolution actual is has caused you to believe in something that has no basis in fact. Evolution has never been about "creating the perfect creature". It is just about animals adapting to ever changing situations in a short, or long period of time. Yet again the disbelief in evolution comes from plain ignorance of what evolution is.

You believe in micro but not macro? Its that being hypocritical? If you believe in micro, then you aren't a christian by your flawed logic.

Whales have don't "vestigal" bones (they say it proves that it used to be used for walking) those bones serve as anchor points for muscles. Without them whales can't reproduce, they have nothing to do with walking on land... Even IF it was vestigal, isn't losing something against evolution?

No. "Losing something" isn't "against evolution." It will be exceedingly difficult to engage in discourse if you aren't prepared, so I might recommend Biology by Miller and Levine, you can pick up used versions at any used book store. This will give you some primer and offer good source material for evolutionary theory.

The vestigial bones on whales are, indeed, vestigial bones. We have a seriation of fossils that exist chronologically in strata and show the gradual changes these bones went from legs to their current form. This is empirical data. To give an idea, these are but a few diagrams:

"The photo shows three ankles, respectively those of Rodhocetus, a modern pronghorn antelope, and Artiocetus. Remarkably, all three show a "double-pulley" astragalus. The astragalus is the bone with the deep, rounded groove in it (imagine a rope fitting into the groove of a pulley wheel). This groove, called a trochlea, fits another bone to form a sliding joint. The artiodactyl astragalus -- in both the modern pronghorn and these ancient swimming whales -- has the unique feature of having two trochleas, one on each end. This is the "double-pulley." These protocetid whales were definitely not runners, but they retain a clear mark of their ancestry as hoofed running animals. "

Its not clear why you state that the bones on whales are not vestigial. Perhaps they were used for muscle attatchment -from photos I've seen, however, I don't see the raised ossification indicative of muscle attatchment- but that doesn't imply they aren't vestigial.

Quote:

God didn't use a process in which millions of creatures have to die just to get the perfect creature. Besides he's perfect,

In that case, this would seem to be evidence for an absence of gods.

Quote:

You guys sure can ask a lot of questions...

I see no reason to ask you questions regarding evolution as there is no indication that this is a subject you're well-versed in. Sorry.

I have no argument with Evolution after life began, but there part where the theory of Evolution breaks down is how did life begin?

Correct.

Evolution doesn't necessarily break down when considering how life began, as we do not yet know how life began (abiogenesis) in the first place. Two things, while somewhat related, are completely different fields. Evolution picks up after the first living thing appeared, and goes on till this moment.

So, I argue M@r's point that you cannot believe in both evolution and god. I personally find it unlikely, but there is no proof to support or deny the thought that a god of some kind may have created the first lifeform, and then evolution took over from there.

Evolution doesn't necessarily break down when considering how life began, as we do not yet know how life began (abiogenesis) in the first place. Two things, while somewhat related, are completely different fields. Evolution picks up after the first living thing appeared, and goes on till this moment.

So, I argue M@r's point that you cannot believe in both evolution and god. I personally find it unlikely, but there is no proof to support or deny the thought that a god of some kind may have created the first lifeform, and then evolution took over from there.

I believe personally that it's justa matter of what you truly believe.I believe there is not an exact true answer.I believe how lif began is a mix of parts of a large amount of different theories.The only thing i believe in is that man weren't the first to walk the earth.I have no arguments whatsoever about any other beliefs.Again i think this is a subject of what religion or what you believe in.

Regardless of what one believes in, there is an objective truth that exists. The question is are your beliefs informed by rational thought or cultural tradition? If cultural tradition and rational thought result in the same truth its all well and good, but with evolution vs. creationism, the results are rational thought vs. superstition.